Blerdy Ish 06: We Luh Amandla Stenberg’s Badass Black Girl Comic

Amandla Stenberg is a magical Black girl from the future. At only 16 years old, she is already making a name for herself as an actress and activist. Her next project? A comic book about a young black warrior woman named Niobe Ayutami. We are here for this.

The forthcoming comic from Stranger Comics titled “NIOBE: She is Life” is co-written by Stenberg and Sebastian A. Jones, with illustration by Ashley A. Woods and layout by Darrell May. Per the Stranger Comics website:

NIOBE: She is Life is a coming of age tale of love, betrayal, and ultimate sacrifice. Niobe Ayutami is an orphaned wild elf teenager and also the would-be savior of the vast and volatile fantasy world of Asunda. She is running from a past where the Devil himself would see her damned… toward an epic future that patiently waits for her to bind nations against the hordes of hell. The weight of prophecy is heavy upon her shoulders and the wolf is close on her heels.

That description alone shows how engaging the story will be. However, the work being done with this comic is much deeper than that. Though set in a fantasy world, Niobe is a biracial character, half human and half elf. And Stenberg claims that was a major driver is her pursuing this project:

“I was drawn to give voice to Niobe and co-write her story because her journey is my journey. I connect to her mixed racial background and quest to discover her innate powers and strengths, to learn who she truly is,” Stenberg said in a statement.

Comics have always been a frontier of depicting the world in a more diverse and accurate manner. From the inception of the X-Men from Marvel to the array of ethnicities, genders, and sexual identities portrayed in comics today, the artform has led the way in creating characters for people all around the world to identify with. And in “NIOBE: She is Life”, girls will have someone to look to that experiences challenges similar to what they go through.

As Stenberg says of Niobe, “She is on a path to a destiny that will test her faith and her will, something we can all relate to. But there’s never been a character quite like her — one who shatters the traditional ideal of what a hero is. We need more badass girls!”

You can show your support for groundbreaking and diverse art by buying the comic when it is released on November 4 (will be available for purchase at Diamond Comic Distributors).